Prospective parents will be keen to know that the most popular baby names in England and Wales of 2021 have been revealed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The annually released data shows some intriguing trends, as popular culture and traditions continue to influence our name choices.
While parents above 35 were more inclined to choose traditional names like Thomas, more unusual names have risen in the ranks thanks to hit TV shows, films and celebrities. The likes of Star Wars, Peaky Blinders and Pixar have all influenced the top 100 list of baby names for 2021, as well as the Kardashians.
While the final series of Peaky Blinders landed in April of this year, parents appear to have taken inspiration from the hit show in 2021 as the amount of Arthurs have nearly doubled since the revered show first hit our screens - growing from 1,599 in 2013 to 3,766 in 2021.
The Kardashians ' dominance over popular culture has translated into the names that parents are loving, as the name Saint, True and Psalm have all grown in popularity according to the statistics.
In the world of cinema, Pixar's animated coming-out-age tale Luca may have inspired an increased favouring of the moniker, as it landed 28th spot in 2021's list of the most popular names for boys. There were 484 more babies given the name Luca in 2021 than 2020, proving it's on the up.
The amount of newborn tots who were given the names Kylo, Finn and Lando also rose, according to the ONS, which could relate to the latest Star Wars trilogy.
It also seems as though parents are drawing inspiration from their favourite music artists, as Mabel, Ezra and Willow all made the top list for 2021.
A range of royal names have seen a spike in popularity after royal births too, including Archie, Louis and Beatrice. But Harry and William dropped in favour.
The name Harry dropped down from 5th to 7th place, while William went from 17th to 21st.
Beatrice was a new contender in the ranks, as the name squeezed 99th position on the list of the top girl's names, after not making the cut in 2020.
Meanwhile, the name Megan did not feature in 2021 or 2020 - regardless of spelling.
Were you inspired by a TV show, film or celebrity when choosing your baby's name? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at ellie.fry@reachplc.com
